News

Commission Announces 2014 Meat, Poultry, Whey Quotas

08 November 2013

KAZAKHSTAN - On 30 October 2013, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) published Decision 242, "On the List of Goods, which are Subject to Tariff-Rate Quotas in 2014, and the Volume of Tariff-Rate Quotas for Imports of these Goods into the Member States of the Customs Union and Single Economic Space."

The Russian TRQ volumes for 2014 will be the same as in 2013, which appears to be consistent with Russia’s WTO commitments. Unlike in 2013, however, the EEC Decision on 2014 TRQs does not specify country-specific allocations for Russia, but rather leaves it to the Russian Federation to “distribute the volume of the tariff-rate quotas among third countries in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and commitments of the Russian Federation within the framework of the World Trade Organization.”

Kazakhstan reduced the TRQ volume for fresh, chilled, and frozen beef (from 15,400 MT in 2013 to 15,320 MT in 2014). Additionally, Kazakhstan provided separate allocations for chilled and frozen beef in 2014, with 20 MT allocated for chilled beef and 15,300 MT – for frozen beef. In 2014, the Kazakhstani TRQ volumes for fresh, chilled, and frozen pork and pork trimmings will remain the same as in 2013 at 9,700 MT, while the TRQ volume for poultry will increase (from 100,000 MT in 2013 to 110,000 MT in 2014).

The Belarus TRQ for fresh, chilled, and frozen pork and pork trimmings was reduced (from 47,200 MT in 2013 to 20,000 MT in 2014). At the same time, EEC Decision 242 includes a clause that would allow Belarus to increase its TRQ for pork to up to 40,000 MT in 2014 if Belarus exhausts at least 70 per cent of the reduced 2014 TRQ for pork in the first half of 2014.

The proposed TRQ allocations will enter into force 10 days from the date of the Decision’s official publication (i.e., 9 November 2013).